Method of making draw-bar yokes



C. E. BAUER.

METHOD OF MAKING DRAW BAR YOKES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2!. l9l8.

. 1 ,330,575 Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 1- C. E. BAUER.

METHOD OF MAKING DRAW BAR YOKES.

APPLICATION FILED 0cT.2|. 1918.

1,330,575. Patented Feb. 10,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- CARL E. BAUER, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA.

METHOD OF MAKING DRAW-BAR YOKES.

Application filed October 21, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL E. BAUER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hammond, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods. of Making Draw-Bar Yokes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to, draft rigging for railway cars and particularly to a novel process of producinga yoke for use therein.

The object of my invention is to provide a process of producing a draft rigging yoke wherebysuch yokesmay be cheaply and expeditiously manufactured. The yoke which results from the process of my invention has many advantages over those heretofore proposed. It is desirable to provide a yoke head adapted to surround the draw bar butt and to provide ears thereon by means of which the yoke may be attached to a draw bar by means of a key. However, the difficulty in the production of such yokes has been in the provision of suitable means of attachment between the yoke arms. and the head; this is because ofthe limited space within which the connection must be made and the limited quantity of material which may be employed for making the connection. Preferably, the inner faces of the yoke arms should lie. in close proximity to the draw bar butt when the parts are in their operative positions. First, for thereason that the pull exerted by, the draw bar will be in. a more direct line with the arms, and, second, for the reason that when the forward ends of the arms are spaced away from the draw bar butt itimplies an increase in the vertical depth of the device at that point and the space at that point is limited.

The yoke produced as the result of my method avoids the difficulties heretofore encountered and as the steps and mechanism required for producing the yoke are few and simple, it is desirable from many standpoints.

The yoke and the process of producing it, will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section view.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

Serial No. 259,065.

through a yoke constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a view showing the bar' which I employ in forming the arms of the yoke;

.Fig. 3 is an edge view thereof; Fig. 41- is a view of the bar after the same has been shaped and before it is bent into its final form;

Fig. 5 is a View showing a blank from which the head is formed;

Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview of the head, after the first operation.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of a pair of dies adapted to form the band or head;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the dies for removing the end wall of the band;

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the dies which may be employed for upsetting the bar at its middle portion;

Fig. 10 is an end View thereof; and

Fig. 11 is a view showing the dies employed for. shaping the yoke.

In carrying out the process, the? arms, comprising the U shaped portionof the yoke, are formed by. upsetting. the bar 10 atits middle to form the thickened portion 1'1, this being done in a common bull-dozer or forging machine such as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. In these figures the bar 10 is shown as being clamped between upper and lower die members 10 10. the lower member having a recess 10 therein. Pressure being applied to the ends of the. bar and the intermediate portion of the bar being heated, the metal willbe caused to flow into the recess 10. to provide the shoulders or abutments 12, this being done in an ordinary. forging. machine not shown, after which the part is bent into its final form, the ends being straightv a shown by the dotted lines lettered 13 in Fig. 1.

A device in which the yoke may be bent into U-shape is shown in. Fig. 11, .in which the bottom die member '10 is providedwith a recess and a plunger 10? is employed for forcing the bar into thefull line position of Fig. 11.

The head is preferably formed by first The ends of the bar are then shaped cutting a billet or slab of the proper length to provide the requisite amount of material after which the block of metal, as shown in Fig. 5 is heated to a welding temperature and placed in suitable shaping dies 15 15 actuated by a powerful press not shown, wherein a rectangular hollow member is formed as shown in Fig. 6. The end wall 15 is then punched out leaving as shown in Fig. 1 a rectangular band comprising the" side walls 16, the top and bottom walls 17, and the slotted cars 14 which are formed as extensions of the side walls 16. The punching press may comprise the punch 15 and the apertured punch plate 15 on which the incompletely formed head is placed in order that the end wall 15 may be punched out. The U shaped member of the yoke is then assembled with the head, with the forward ends of the arms in the dotted line position of Fig. 1, whereupon the said ends are bent backwardly to materially overlie the top and bottom walls 17 of the head. The bending is done while the forward ends of the arms are highly heated and the head is cold, and the parts are tightly fitted while in that condition. Upon cooling the arms will be shrunk on the head and still more tightly engage the same. As an added assurance of security I may join the parts by spot welding as indicated at 19 in Fig. 1. This welding may readily be accomplished after the parts are finally assembled and serves to firmly unite the same without weakening.

Preferably the cars 14 are formed in the first operation by the action of the shaping die, after which the slots 14 may be punched or drilled. However, the shaping of the ears may be accomplished subsequently if desired, it being understood that sufficient metal will be allowed to project from the side walls for that purpose.

One of the great advantages in the manufacture of a head according to the process described is in the fact that it is substantially entirely completed in the two operations. After the head and arms are assembled in the described manner the yoke is, for all practical purposes, an integral structure and is much lighter than a cast yoke having the same strength.

A yoke formed in the manner described may be constructed very cheaply, in fact much more cheaply than a cast yoke. It will be seen that parts are joined without the use of rivets or any fastening devices which necessitate perforating, and thereby weakening the different parts.

I claim:

1. The method of making a draw bar yok which consists in applying pressure centrally of a flat slab while at a welding temthe same into cup-shape, then removing the bottom wall of the cup thereby forming a seamless band, then applying pressure to a bar to upset an intermediate portion thereof, then bending the bar into U-shape and causing the free ends to enter the band, then bending back the free ends of the arms over the band while said ends are heated, shoulders being provided on the arms adapted to engage the side of the band opposite to the overturned ends of the arms, then allowing the parts to cool whereby the ends of the arms are shrunk onto the band, substantially as described.

2. The method of making a draw bar yoke, which consists in applying pressure centrally of a flat slab while at a welding temperature by means of a die thereby pressing the same into cup-shape, then removing the bottom wall of the cup thereby forming a seamless band, then applying pressure. to a bar to upset an intermediate portion thereof, then bending the bar into U-shape and causing the free ends to enter the band, then bending back the free ends of the arms over the band while said ends are heated, shoulders being provided on the arms adapted to engage the side of the band opposite to the overturned ends of the arms, then allowing the parts to cool whereby the ends of the arms are shrunk onto the band, then electrically welding the band to the ends of the arms, substantially as described.

3. The method of making a draw bar yoke,

which consists in applying pressure centrally of a flat slab while at a welding tem* perature by means of a die thereby pressing the same into cup-shape, then removing the bottom wall of the cup thereby forming a seamless band, then applying pressure to a bar to upset an intermediate portion thereof, then bending the bar into U-shape and caus ing the free ends to enter the hand, then bending back the free ends of the arms over the band, then permitting the arms to shrink into tight engagement with the band, substantially as described.

4. The method of making a draw bar yoke, which consists in applying pressure centrally of a flat slab while at a welding temperature by means of a die thereby pressing the same into cup-shape, then removing the bottom wall of the cup thereby forming a seamless hand, then applying pressure to a bar to upset an intermediate portion thereof, then bending the bar into U-shape and causing the free ends to enter the band, then bending back the free ends of the arms over the band, then electrically welding the band to the ends of the arms, substantially as described.

5. The method of making a draw bar yoke, which consists in applying pressure centrally perature by means of a die thereby pressingtaiof a flat slab while at a welding temperature by means of a, die thereby pressing the same into cup-shape, then removing the bottom Wall of the cup thereby forming a seemless band, then bending a bar into U-shape and causing the free ends to enter the bend, then bending back the extremities of the arms over the band While the said extremities are heated, then permitting the extremities of the arms to shrink into tight engagement with the band, substantially as de- 10 scribed.

Signed at Hammond, Ind., this 16th day of October, 1918.

CARL E. BAUER. Witness:

MARIE BRAUER. 

